Working from home

fayepark1

I was chosen to be part of the team to keep the business running during COVID, working from home.
Due to the massive increase in internet usage, am I able to reclaim my internet costs to my employer?

comeandgo

Why on earth did you not tell your employer you were on restricted internet use.  You could ask them but it would depend on what was agreed when you started working from home.  

sharpe106

You can ask, was internet usage discussed when you agreed to work from home? how much more are you talking about?

Jeremy535897

Why don't you ask them?

bradders1983

Didnt realise people still had "capped" usage packages these days. Agree with the above, you really should have mentioned it from the outset. What is your "cap" and how much are you going over it? Can you prove work stuff has taken you over it rather than Netflix etc?

Mrsn

bradders1983 said:

What is your "cap" and how much are you going over it? Can you prove work stuff has taken you over it rather than Netflix etc?

This....

It might be difficult to prove that if I’m honest. If it significantly costing you extra then yes you should perhaps have a chat about this but would you possibly not be saving on commuting costs to offset the cost.

sweetsand

OP. There are many people in your situation and it is easy to say "why did you not ask.."
Couple of points and you have noted the internet cost. Most people are not aware about the cost of lighting, heating etc that can be offset against tax.
Sadly, many millions are ignorant of the fact that using your home for buiness, ie work is not covered by your insurance. Insurance companies are very good, just phone them and most will not charge you extra but some will for making changes but you need to tell them as otherwsie you may come unstuck if it comes to a claim.

bradders1983

Insurers only really care if you are running a business from home, dont they? Totally different from working from home.

Jeremy535897

bradders1983 said:

Insurers only really care if you are running a business from home, dont they? Totally different from working from home.

It's not just insurers. Many homes have a covenant on them preventing the operation of a business from home, but again that doesn't normally prevent an employee working from home.

Semple

Mrsn said:

bradders1983 said:

What is your "cap" and how much are you going over it? Can you prove work stuff has taken you over it rather than Netflix etc?

This....

It might be difficult to prove that if I’m honest. If it significantly costing you extra then yes you should perhaps have a chat about this but would you possibly not be saving on commuting costs to offset the cost.

It's actually very easy to prove with the correct software in place. But agreed with Bradders, broadband packages with data caps are very unusual in this country. Do you actually have a data cap, or are you just looking for your employer to contribute here. 

NedS

You should be able to claim £6/week through your employer, or if not then you can claim directly through HMRC and have your tax code adjusted:

https://blog.moneysavingexpert.com/2020/04/martin-lewis--working-from-home-due-to-coronavirus--claim-p6-wk-/